February 2026

Ritchie was excited to spread some Tiger love for Valentine’s Day! Watch the video of Ritchie offering free hugs to students, staff, and faculty. 

The NTID Student Life Team is hiring current RIT/NTID students for leadership positions during the 2026-2027 academic year:

Encourage your students to apply here for these positions. 

RIT/NTID has partnered with Google to develop Grammar Laboratory, a learning tool that uses artificial intelligence to assist deaf and hard-of-hearing students with American Sign Language and English literacy. 

The goal is to strengthen American Sign Language and English language foundations for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. This project is a collaboration between Erin Finton, lecturer in the Department of Liberal Studies, and Sam Sepah, an AI accessibility research program manager at Google, aiming to address language deprivation and prepare students for professional success. 

A film produced for Google.org by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions highlights the development of the Grammar Laboratory, featuring Finton and Sepah along with students in Literacies II and III classes. 

Learn more about how agentive AI can provide personalization to strengthen language foundations.

Pamela Aasen, coordinator of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program in the New Jersey Department of Health and current member of the NTID Foundation Board, shares the importance of giving to RIT/NTID and the role she plays in her students’ success during their college years:

“My inspiration to support RIT/NTID stems from witnessing firsthand the impact the institution has had on my sons, Ethan and Gavin. RIT/NTID is unique and is arguably the most accessible college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. It is a setting where they have true peers and a place where they don't have to explain themselves, which is certainly a profound experience for them.

“When we were making the decision as a family about where they would go, a huge factor was the built-in accommodations. My sons are very good advocates for themselves, but we thought it was so great that they could go to a place and focus on their studies and not constantly have to fight for the accommodations they need. My appointment to the NTID Foundation Board also gives me the opportunity to continue to raise awareness about RIT/NTID for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and the chance to advocate for members of the deafblind population like my sons.

“With regard to the role that I have played in my son’s success throughout their college years, I have shifted more to a supportive backseat role but I continue to talk with them about appropriate accommodations for deafblindness, while mostly encouraging them to handle these logistics largely on their own. I respect their choices as they develop their own life hacks for managing university life. When they need support to figure out a new challenge I try to listen, make suggestions, and then let them take the lead. I continue to be their biggest cheerleader and enjoy the occasional visits to take them to dinner or watch them play in activities like intramural hockey.”

RIT/NTID alum Charmaine Jacobs Hlibok ’94 (professional and technical communication) is NTID’s 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award winner. 

Hlibok is a dedicated educator and leader with more than 25 years of experience in deaf education, language, development, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. She served as principal of the elementary department at Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia Campus from 2018 until she retired in June 2025. 

Learn more about Hlibok.

RIT/NTID is pleased to honor Hlibok for her impact and dedication to deaf education, her leadership in the Deaf community, and her service to RIT/NTID. The NTID Alumni Relations Office will host a reception celebrating Hlibok in spring 2026. 

Remy Glock ’11 (graphic design) has more than 14 years of experience in the design and advertising industry. She is known for her creative work that promotes accessibility and inclusivity through visual storytelling in American Sign Language. 

A native of Reno, Nevada, Glock discovered her interest in typography and visual communication through her first job at Trader Joe’s as a sign artist. When she transferred to RIT from the University of Nevada at Reno, she chose to major in graphic design, which focuses on developing expertise in typography, design, branding, and motion graphics.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design, she pursued her design career at major advertising agencies, including Edelman, DuPuis, and Leo Burnett. Eventually, she joined Ogilvy as a design director specializing in building brand identities and creating design-driven solutions for clients.

Recently, Glock won a community design contest for the running apparel brand Run in Rabbit, designing the “Run Your Own Path” singlet with a message in ASL, “Keep Going.” 

Learn more about Glock. 

RIT/NTID invites prospective deaf and hard-of-hearing first-year and transfer students and their familiesto participate in virtual information sessions. If you know other parents, family members, or prospective students who may be interested in learning about what RIT/NTID has to offer, please share the sessions listed below with them:

These virtual information sessions are free, but registration is required. Interpreting services have been requested. For more information, contact Erin Kane, assistant director of admissions and visitation in NTID Enrollment Management, at efknca@rit.edu.

Spring break is March 8-15, 2026. If your students are planning to travel, please take time to discuss safety and health precautions. For students staying on campus, dining hours and locations will be updated on the RIT Dining website. 

To stay in touch with other parents and up to date on current events, join our Facebook group for parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing and interpreting students at RIT/NTID! More resources are available on the NTID Parents and Families page. Other resources also are available on the RIT Parents and Families page.

For any questions, feel free to reach out to Loriann Macko, Director of NTID Alumni and Constituent Relations, at Loriann.Macko@rit.edu.

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